Alexandra's review
I read Cloud Boy and it is really good. It is about Angie Moon and Harry Christmas. They are best friends and almost twins. Harry gets ill and Angie writes in a diary that she got for her birthday. It is a bit sad at the end but it is still really good. I recommend it to 9+ 

I learnt that there is a quilt that guides made in Changi prison in a museum. My favourite character is Angie because she did a lot of things for Harry that other people wouldn't do.

Francesca's review
This is a quick read and a sad story but I feel that is has the same plot as a lot of other books – but unfortunately is not as good!

The main reason I didn’t like it is because all of the characters, apart from Grandma, were slightly boring and too simplistic. They seemed very nice but unrealistic.

It did make me cry though, so if you have not read a sad story before, you could give it a shot!

Isabelle's review
Cloud Boy is an exciting story about the relationship between two best friends who are almost-twins.  I think Cloud Boy is an amazing story, I loved the way it was set out like a diary: it has dates like a diary, instead of chapters.  You can really understand the characters, they feel alive, especially the main characters, Angie Moon and Harry Christmas. 

I liked all the characters but my favourite was Angie Moon, she is fun and interesting. The diary belongs to her. I learnt a lot from the story, like best friends stay with you forever. The reader can expect the unexpected, including sadness, during Cloud Boy’s exciting plot. 

I will remember the long-lasting friendship between Angie and Harry. This is a heart touching book, it really shows that friends last forever.  I will recommend it to my friends.

Reggie's review
I enjoyed Cloud Boy but it was probably the saddest book I’ve ever read.

The characters were very different but also similar. They were friends.  

I didn’t really like Angela because she was mean to Harry. She got angry with Harry at times and that annoyed me. Whenever his medicines made him do stuff she said he was stupid and idiotic. Angela liked art.

Harry was a bit more interesting. He was interested in clouds. That kind of makes him a bit special because most people can’t be bothered to work out what clouds are and which clouds are which.

I learnt a bit about what happened in the war in the story - the war in the Pacific. I learnt about how people were treated then and what they had to eat.

You think that sometimes the food you have is a bit disgusting but the people there would dream of having what you had. They had to eat uncooked rice with bugs and they weren’t allowed to eat any fruit even if they found it. They would be accused of stealing if they did.

It made me feel that I shouldn’t be that fussy.

I thought it was a good idea to merge two different stories together – the story about what happened in the war with Harry and Angela’s story. It was a nice touch. You got two stories in one. 

I liked Angie’s great grandma in the story. 

What made it realistic was the letters that were in the story were written to her kitten Rosie. The story is actually supposed to be the story of someone called Olga – she was Morris but she got married and became Henderson - who went to a prison in Japan. 

It was nice to know in someone’s own words about conditions in the prison. By having it in the first person it felt more real. What also made it interesting was that because she was a child she would write like a child – she would say “mummy” and when she walked into the prison she said “daddy”. That’s how a six year old would talk.

The book could be quite sad at times and then really happy. Towards the end it got really sad. It made me think about things.

I felt very sad when Harry died. He had a cloud blanket and a cloud pillow and notebook. He really did like clouds. The way he liked clouds shaped the book. 

I think what makes it truly memorable is that you get books about pirates and superheroes and all that but not many people would go with clouds. The fact that Harry and Angie liked two different things – art and clouds – it’s a strange combination. But when you think about it clouds can look really weird but they are really good for art. They can be in all shapes and sizes and when you have nothing to do you can get a pen and paper and try your hardest to draw one.

Carmen's review (attached below):